Bill Rustem, director of strategy for Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, testified before the House Transportation Committee this afternoon, urging members to advance legislation that would authorize formation of the Southeast Michigan Transit Authority.

"This is one of the governor's highest priorities," Rustem told committee members. "You need to know that. We need to get this done."

The Senate yesterday approved enabling legislation for an authority designed to serve Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties.

The authority would be tasked with coordinating existing transit networks, seeking state and federal grants and implementing a high-speed bus system that would connect the region via four main corridors.

The four-county area is home to roughly half of the state's population but, after decades of failed attempts, remains one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country without a regional transportation system.

"This is an historic opportunity that will mean a lot, not to us, not to our generation, but to our kids and their kids," Rustem said. "Because it will change the face of Michigan, not only in Southeast Michigan, but everywhere."

Republican Rep. Paul Opsommer of DeWitt, who chairs the committee, said he and two of his colleagues plan to iron out a few details with members of the governor's staff before opening up the bills to discussion next week.

House approval and the governor's signature would also boost plans for a streetcar system planned to run along Woodward Avenue in Detroit. U.S. Transportation Sec. Ray LaHood has said federal funding is contingent upon creation of the authority.

However, there is some concern that Right to Work legislation, if taken up during the current lame-duck session, could cause congestion in the House and complicate efforts to move several packages by the end of the year.

Other highlights from today's committee testimony:

High-speed buses: John Hertel, a former state Senator now serving as general manager of SMART, praised the prospect of rolling rapid transit. "These buses run at the same speed as light rail, these buses carry the same number of passengers that light rail carries, and these buses operate at 1/8 the cost of light rail," he said.

County buy-in: While the authority is designed to serve the entire region, residents in each county would have the opportunity to vote on participation by approving funding in the form of a special assessment or vehicle registration fee. "This is about the vote of the people," said Rustem. "Nothing happens without the vote of the people. And we believe that the people ultimately will decide to support this."

A regional approach from the UP: While the transit authority is designed to serve Metro Detroit, the main Senate legislation was sponsored by a lawmaker from the Upper Peninsula. Republican Sen. Tom Casperson of Escanaba worked with Democratic Sens. Rebekah Warren and Bert Johnson of Ann Arbor and Detroit. Casperson said he was inspired to join the cause after he and Johnson spent a day riding buses across Metro Detroit. "It was clear to me that we need to do something to help the system out," he said. "Something is desperately wrong with the way it's working."

Economic stimulus: While taxpayers at some level will fund the authority's work, Hertel argued that the economic benefits will outweigh the costs. "The best number we've seen, over and over again, is that for every dollar the government invests in mass transit, that the private sector invests eight dollars in terms of creating businesses and business opportunities along that mass transit," he said.

Dedicated lanes: While high-speed buses would ideally run in dedicate lanes, Rustem said the legislation allows for flexible arrangements with various roadway owners. "Lanes may be fully dedicated of partially dedicated, meaning during peak hours or peak directions," he said. "And they must always be available for emergency vehicles. Transit's designed to reduce congestion, not to increase it."

The Troy factor: Rustem acknowledged that there was some concern over language exempting the authority from local land-use policies. But he justified that approach by citing the City of Troy, whose mayor and council last year initially rejected $8 million in federal funds for a new transit station. "There are dozens of local units in these transit regions, and anyone of them could present the same problems that had to be overcome in Troy," he said.

Earlier today, advocates rallied on the steps of the state Capitol, channeling Motown soul man Marvin Gaye by singing a cleverly worded rendition of ""Ain't No Mountain High Enough (To Keep Us From a Regional Transit Authority)."

Jonathan Oosting is a reporter for MLive Media Group's statewide news team. Email him at joosting@mlive.com.